China’s men’s table tennis team beat the Republic of Korea, winning the men’s team title at the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou. Table tennis legend Ma Long played     1     the third singles player to win the decisive victory for China. It     2     (be) 17 years since Ma Long first represented China in the Asian Games and won the gold medal in the men’s team.

He is now 35-year-old, but he shows no sign of age when     3     (compete) against other athletes. And his moves remain aggressive (侵略的). With great efforts, he finally managed     4     (achieve) the victory. It added a fifth Asian gold to Ma’s trophy cabinet (奖杯柜), which also     5     (include) an all-time record of five Olympic gold medals and 25 world championships titles dating back to 2006. He really set     6     example for athletes all over the world.

However,     7     is a pity that he had to bid farewell (告别) to the Asian Games at the post-match press conference (新闻发布会) because of his age. Ma wrote on his micro blog, “Love can last a long time. I’m     8     (extreme) grateful to my teammates and all the fans at the scene. It’s you     9     encourage me to go on. I’ll never forget all these good Asian Games     10     (memory). Keep going for the Chinese team!”

The guzheng is one of the     1    (popular) instruments in China. It has     2     history of more than 2,500 years. The earliest records of the guzheng     3    (find) in the Warring States Period (战国时期). The musical instrument later became a     4    (wide) played instrument in China and found     5    (it) way to other countries.

In the 1950s and 1960s, the guzheng and a number of other traditional Chinese instruments experienced a major overhaul (改造) to expand their sound range and improve their expressiveness. The redesign of the guzheng was led by Professor Wang Xunzhi from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music.     6     the help of his students, he recorded a large number of traditional guzheng music. Wang spent a few years     7    (design) the new guzheng and completed it in 1958.

The new instrument     8     is commonly used today, is 160 centimeters long and has 21 strings (弦). The most important change is the new set of strings that are made of steel coated with nylon. This allows the instrument     9    (produce) a greater sound similar to that of a piano. Most guzheng     10    (performer) use this kind today.

During the peak summer travel season this year, many popular tourist destinations in China have experienced large crowds, making it challenging for tourists     1     (get) tickets. Given these circumstances, cultural venues in many places have     2     (recent) announced extended opening hours, allowing people to explore during the evening hours. For instance, the Shaanxi History Museum has extended the opening hours to 8:00 pm every Sunday since mid-July.

In ancient China, a tradition of night tours, entertainment and dinners thrived (繁荣). When night fell, people would participate in     3     (activity) like reciting poems, appreciating the moon’s beauty and joining in tea-fueled conversations, said Wang Bin, curator (馆长) of the Xi’an-based West Market Museum. “Children can fully involve     4     (they) in the nighttime experiences of ancient civilizations right at the original West Market site. This is     5     we integrate these cultural elements. And this approach     6     (welcome) by both parches and children ever since,” Wang said.

To meet people’s     7     (grow) demand for night travel, China has developed a night culture     8     night tourism economy in recent years, with some places winning fame for night fairs and performances. Even at 10:30 pm, subways in many cities remain busy with people. Nighttime cultural tours have changed the     9     (convention) tourism model of traveling during the day and sleeping     10     night.

I like reading in my free time. I’ve read all kinds of books which are    1     (write) by many famous writers from all over the world. But I like a Chinese writer     2     (well). His name is Xu Zhimo.

Xu was born in a big family. His parents were good at writing. His father taught little Xu by     3     (he). When Xu was very young, he was interested     4     reading. Fables (寓言) and novels were his favorites. He loved reading very much and he often forgot to eat and sleep.

When Xu was about six years old, he began to write some     5     (story). He kept practicing writing and did better and better. But he still kept on reading,     6    he always believed “    7    (read) makes a full man”.

When he grew up, his dream came true. He became a world-famous writer. Not only Chinese but also people     8    other countries worshiped (崇) him. His works (著作) were     9     (enjoy) all over the world. Everyone     10    (think) his works were nice and great.

Hotpot has a long history of over 1,000 years in China. It used to     1     (favor) only in winter, but recently hotpot has been appearing on tables all year round.

    2     the delicious flavor, there are two other important reasons for the Chinese to like hotpot. First, it is a great way     3    (socialize) — people gather around the pot, chatting, eating, drinking     4     having fun. Second, hotpot is a healthy meal. Boiling is better than frying, with bone nutrients     5     (release) into the soup. In addition, eating hot pot can warm the body in winter, and increase perspiration (排汗) to help cool the body in summer. Some seasonings (作料) used in hotpots can help relieve some minor     6    (illness) like colds, blocked sinuses and headaches.

Chongqi ng Hotpot is the staple dish of the city. Hotpot restaurants in Chongqi ng are everywhere — if you look up on the street you are in, chances are that you     7    (stand) exactly near a hotpot restaurant.

    8    (usual), the taste of food can reflect the attitude and ‘status of life there. As a    9     (symbol) food in Chongqing, it reflects that people there have the sense of integrity and embrace the diversified culture. Almost everything     10     is eatable can be cooked in hotpot, so eating hotpot is a must when you come to Chongqing!

A new chain of coffee shops has sprung up in the city of Wuxi, East China’s Jiangsu province, themed on the ancient Huishan clay figurine (泥人) culture—with a few modern adaptations. The Nanimomo Cafe chain has expanded     1     (rapid) since May last year and now has 11     2     (branch) in operation. The coffee shops display     3     range of figurines and related creative cultural products. In addition     4     drinking coffee, visitors can choose whether     5     (have) a go at making clay sculptures on site.

Huishan clay figurines are made from the black clay found at the foot of Huishan Mountain in Wuxi. They are said to have a     6     (record) history of more than 400 years. And they     7     (list) among the first batch (批) of China’s national intangible cultural heritage (非物质文化遗产) in 2006. In Wuxi dialect, Huishan clay figurines are pronounced nanimomo. The two most famous     8     (tradition) figurines are A Fu and A Xi, meaning “good fortune” and “joy”, and the factory has designed and produced several new figurines, such as Nani and Momo,    9     are more modern and attractive to young consumers. There are also several cute and colorful characters,    10     (carry) different types of food for which Wuxi is famous: spare ribs (排骨), peaches and steamed buns.